About NCCN

The NCCN 19th Annual Conference: Advancing the Standard of Cancer Care™ will take place on March 13 – 15, 2014 in Hollywood, Florida; The 2014 conference features two expert roundtable discussions and clinical treatment updates for more than 15 disease types.

"With three full days of events, this year`s conference promises to address the most relevant issues affecting oncology practice today, as well as clinical treatment updates for more than 15 cancer types, best practices in patient management and supportive care, and strategies for implementation of the NCCN Guidelines," said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "NCCN is pleased to bring together such an esteemed group of experts as we move into our twentieth year improving the lives of patients with cancer."

This year`s conference will feature two roundtable discussions, the first of which will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2014. The Child`s Experience When a Parent Has Cancer, moderated by Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins—one of the 23 NCCN Member Institutions will explore the experiences of children as they encounter the oncology landscape alongside a parent who has been diagnosed with cancer, as well as of parents who have lost spouses to cancer.

Friday`s roundtable will feature discussion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and health reform in the United States, its effect on the oncology landscape from the clinician, provider, payer, and industry perspectives, and how oncology care will continue to evolve as the ACA is further implemented.

The 2014 conference will also include updates to the library of NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®), for diseases such as Breast, Non-Small Cell Lung, and Prostate Cancers, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, and Melanoma. Other presentations will cover topics including, but not limited to, genetic counseling in patients with familial risk of colorectal cancer and designing clinical trials in the era of biomarkers and targeted therapies.

The full conference agenda is available at NCCN.org. Press inquiries and requests for interviews should be addressed to Katie Kiley Brown at brown@nccn.org.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), a not-for-profit alliance of 25 of the world's leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives. For more information, visit NCCN.org.